Raiders Safety Joseph Hopes to Use Football to Help Native Haiti
A large tattoo from Karl Joseph's left shoulder through the center of his back, a detailed emblem also featured on the Haitian flag.
Joseph was born in the impoverished island nation and raised there 11 years before moving to Orlando, Fla. with his mother. That formative period helped define the Raiders safety's work ethic, commitment to family and his roots.
Joseph hasn't forgotten it. Haiti remains a part of him, bonded by a connection expressed well beyond body art.
That's where he spent one of life's biggest moments, shunning the spotlight to be with relatives in Haiti when the Raiders selected him No. 14 overall in the 2016 NFL4. That was celebration of where he came from on the day he became wealthy beyond childhood dreams.
"It keeps me grounded," Joseph said on NBC Sports Bay Area's Raiders Insider Podcast. "That's one of the reasons I went back for my draft party. Anytime I get a chance to go back, I take it. It makes you appreciate the little things you have, the luxuries you often take for granted. It also makes me hungrier to work hard, play well and give back. Every time I go the memories come flooding back, which hits the reset button for me. It gets ready to come back here, ready to work."
Joseph frequently visits family in his native Jacmel, a port town off Haiti's southern coast. He went back again this spring, but not on holiday.
He joined former Seahawks defensive lineman Cliff Avril's annual pilgrimage to Haiti, which is more than a fundraiser and photo opp. This group goes to work.
They helped build a school, supply a health clinic and run a football camp. They met with Haiti president Jovenel Moise, discussing issue pressing a beautiful in need of help for its poorest people.
"That's one of the main reasons I was excited to go on this trip," Joseph said of the weeklong charitable venture. "I've seen some of the work he had done out there, and I was ready to get involved. A lot of people go out there and put their name on stuff, but few want to interact with the people and get their hands dirty."
Joseph broke from the pack late in the trip to visit family still living in Jacmel. They toured the now rundown house Joseph grew up in, a moment, among others, chronicled on his Instagram page.
Joseph plans to join Avril's trip each year, and eventually start his own foundation focused on helping bring awareness, funds and infrastructure to Haiti.
He understands that performing well will help that cause.
"I have to continue to do my part on the field," Joseph said. "The better I play, the more I contribute to Raiders victories, the more people will pay attention. I need to use that to shine a light on issues in the country I grew up in."
Joseph believes he can reach new heights working with new head coach Jon Gruden and staff. The safety has played well in spurts, but doesn't believe vast potential has been reached.
"I don't even feel like I've scratched the surface yet," Joseph said. "I feel like I have so much room for improvement in every aspect of my game. I've improved my mental game this offseason, and fit into this new defense. We've come a long way as a group, and that I've made strides personally. I'm going to keep pushing, even during the down period. I have such high expectations for myself. I'm excited about the season. People haven't even seen the real Karl Joseph yet."
The real Karl Joseph is a thumper, someone who can play deep and aggressive near the line of scrimmage. He's part of a safety group that also features Marcus Gilchrist and Reggie Nelson, and will have a chance to thrive in Paul Guenther's defense.
That would help the Raiders win and bring attention to Joseph and the place he's commitment to helping.
"Football is my platform to give back there," Joseph said. "That's my purpose in life, to be able to make this an opportunity to shine light on issues (in Haiti) and give back. I cherish the chance to go back and see the place where I was born and family that was around during a critical time in my life. It's a special place to me."
By: Scott Bair for nbcbayrea.com | June 11, 2018
Cliff Avril's annual party for Haiti draws a crowd
It's called "Dining to Make a Difference," and Seahawk Cliff Avril's annual event does just that for thousands a world away in Haiti.Cliff and teammates Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, K.J. Wright, Earl Thomas, Jimmy Graham, and others gathered at Palisade in Magnolia to serve dinner to a restaurant full of guests.The benefit for the Cliff Avril Family Foundation raisef funds for Cliff's homeland, Haiti. His parents are from the island nation."I'm fortunate that I'm in a situation that I can give back," Cliff said. "And I'm trying to use my platform to do that."Dominican Nelson Cruz was also in attendance. The Mariner superstar says he and Cliff are "island brothers.""We know where we're coming from," Nelson said. "We know the needs. And we appreciate everything we have so far. And we can help."Like last year, Cliff also pledges to build a home for each sack he bags this season."And then there's people around the city of Seattle who pledged to do the same thing," Cliff said. "So last year we actually got to build 25 homes."By: Michael King | September 19, 2017
Behind-The-Scenes Footage From Cliff Avril's Humanitarian Trip To Haiti
Avril Making A Difference
https://youtu.be/DWTmFA5m5BM This past April, Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril, who is of Haitian descent and embraces the nickname 'Haitian Creation,' embarked on his second consecutive offseason trip to the country of Haiti, where he and his foundation - The Cliff Avril Family Foundation - began the groundbreaking of a new school building, created homes built to withstand natural disasters, hosted health clinics, youth football camps, and more.
Avril recently shared a bit of behind-the-scenes footage from his journey on YouTube, which showcases his travels from Miami, Florida to Haiti and back with teammate Michael Bennett as well as current and former NFL players Marshawn Lynch, Stephen Tulloch, and more.Prior to the 2016 season and in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Avril pledged to build a home in Haiti for every sack he recorded. He finished with a career-high 11.5 sacks and rounded up to pledge to build 12 homes in the country.You can check out behind-the-scenes footage from Avril's trip in the video embedded above.Seahawks.com - Wednesday, August 09, 2017